Citation and License

Nanoscale Research Letters 2013, 8:122
doi:10.1186/1556-276X-8-122

Published: 8 March 2013

Abstract

Photoluminescent carbon dots (C-dots) were prepared using the improved nitric acid
oxidation method. The C-dots were characterized by tapping-mode atomic force microscopy,
and UV–vis absorption spectroscopy. The C-dots were subjected to systematic safety
evaluation via acute toxicity, subacute toxicity, and genotoxicity experiments (including
mouse bone marrow micronuclear test and Salmonella typhimurium mutagenicity test). The results showed that the C-dots were successfully prepared
with good stability, high dispersibility, and water solubility. At all studied C-dot
dosages, no significant toxic effect, i.e., no abnormality or lesion, was observed
in the organs of the animals. Therefore, the C-dots are non-toxic to mice under any
dose and have potential use in fluorescence imaging in vivo, tumor cell tracking, and others.